AI Article Synopsis
- Enhanced adherence counseling is an intervention for HIV patients with high viral loads (>1000 copies/ml) in Ethiopia, initiated by the Federal Ministry of Health in 2016, aiming to improve their viral load suppression.
- A study analyzed 352 high-viral load HIV patients who received this counseling from July 2018 to June 2021, finding that 65.1% achieved viral load suppression after a median of 5 months.
- Key predictors of successful viral load suppression included being age 15 or older, not having a history of opportunistic infections, and not using substances, while an initial viral load count over 50,000 copies/ml was a negative predictor.
Article Abstract
Background: Enhanced adherence counseling refers to the counseling intervention for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) patients with an elevated viral load result, a viral load of > 1000 copies/ml, on a routine or need-based viral load test. The Federal Ministry of Health, Ethiopia, has launched routine viral load testing and enhanced adherence counseling since 2016 for high-viral load people living with HIV, which is applicable throughout the country for all health facilities providing HIV care and treatment. Our study aimed to assess viral load suppression after enhanced adherence counseling and its predictors among high viral load people living with HIV who were on antiretroviral therapy.
Method: We conducted a health facility-based retrospective follow-up study among 352 HIV-infected high-viral load people enrolled in enhanced adherence counseling from July 2018 to June 2021 in Nekemte town public health facilities. Cox proportional hazard analysis was used to identify independent predictors.
Results: The overall 65.1% of 352 persons on antiretroviral treatment achieved HIV viral load suppression after enhanced adherence counseling, (15.01 per 100 person months (95% CI13.02-16.99)). The median time to viral load suppression was 5 months. Age ≥ 15 years (AHR = 1.99, 95% CI: 1.11-3.57), no history of opportunistic infection (AHR = 2.01, 95% CI: 1.18-3.41), and not using substances (AHR = 2.48, 95% CI: 1.19-5.14) were more likely to have viral load suppressed, while having an initial viral load count greater than 50,000 RNA copies/ml (AHR = 0.56, 95% CI: 0.37-0.85) were less likely to have viral load suppressed after enhanced adherence counseling.
Conclusion: Age, history of opportunistic infections, substance use, and an initial viral load count > 50,000 RNA copies/mL were significant predictors of viral load suppression. Enrolling all high-viral-load patients in enhanced adherence counseling is recommended for viral load suppression.
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Source |
|---|---|
| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11442734 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s44197-024-00246-0 | DOI Listing |
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